English

The course introduces and explores technologies relating to high performance computing, and it offers practical hands-on use of and experience with said technologies. Students learn how to develop fast, efficient applications on the very latest advanced processors, including many-core CPUs and GPUs. Students also have the opportunity to integrate content from other courses, for example implementing high performance parallel versions of algorithms previously encountered. Students are exposed to the underlying trends in computer hardware that are driving development towards massive parallelism in hardware and software. They employ widely used parallel programming languages and tools, such as OpenMP, MPI, OpenCL, debuggers and profilers, all in the context of a real supercomputer environment: the university’s Blue Crystal cluster.

This course introduces students to key topics and concepts in disaster management. No prior knowledge is assumed. The causes of disasters are explored and different approaches to addressing them are critically analyzed through lectures and seminars. Course content includes disaster vulnerability and resilience, as well as the disaster management cycle. Students gain a clear understanding of the different types of disasters, disaster risks, and how and why vulnerability to hazards varies across space and time, in both low- and high-income contexts.

This course covers basic and advanced techniques for manipulating and controlling laser light and laser pulses. This involves controlling intensity, frequency distribution, temporal profiles in order to design advanced optical systems for specialized tasks in industry as well as research. The course covers the following topics: Light propagation in anisotropic materials; Acusto-optical effects and modulators; electro-optical effects and modulators, non-linear interaction between light and matter; ultrafast optics, propagation of short laser pulses in dispersive non-linear media; and basic laser safety. Assumed prior knowledge: Basic Physics, Mathematics and Optics.

Public International Law governs the everyday life of the international society and supplies the fundamental framework for the conduct of the international political process. In this context, it deals mainly, but not exclusively, with the relations of sovereign states inter se and their relations with international organizations, individuals, transnational corporations, ‘peoples’, and other international actors. This course provides the students with an introduction to this field of law. The course provides students with a contemporary introduction to the subject of international law. Further this course provides students with an understanding of the nature and sources of international law; introduces students to the main subject areas of international law and keep them abreast of contemporary developments; introduces students to the principal areas of international conflict and the main actors on the international stage; fosters a critical appreciation of the role played by international law in world affairs; introduces students to the basic international legal research and IT skills using the Library and the Internet; and familiarizes students with the professional role and career choices of the international lawyer.

This course examines the nearshore coastal zone. It focuses on the development of hands-on practical skills and field experiences that will include student-driven exercises and projects. This will include a multi-day field trip to Moreton Bay Research Station, where students will engage in field data collection training from experts in water quality assessment, coastal processes, seagrass monitoring and coral reef surveys. 

The course examines the theory of financial decision-making by investors and examines the behavior of the capital markets in which these decisions are taken. The main topics covered are the theory of capital markets, portfolio theory, equity and bond markets, the capital asset pricing model, efficient markets, and derivative pricing. This course covers the same topics as FM214. Thus, both FM210 and FM214 are equivalent content-wise. However, compared to FM214, this course puts less emphasis on the underlying statistical theory and relies less on the use of mathematical methods. Nonetheless, the course is quantitative in nature, and familiarity with mathematical and statistical methods taught in first-year courses will be assumed.

This course considers the diverse literature produced during a transitional era stretching from the Restoration of the British monarchy in 1660 to the eve of American independence. It addresses a wide range of genres that flourished during this period, including poetry, novels, drama, travel writing and life writing.

The course focuses on developments in the Low Countries in the late Middle Ages, in relation to other parts of Europe. After a general introduction, the course focuses on a number of case studies related to medieval court and town culture from the viewpoint of various disciplines. Among the topics covered are defining a medieval town, musical institutions, the role of literature, and the changing function and styles of art and architecture in this period. The classes taught by faculty from different disciplines: art history, history, Dutch language and literature, and music.

This course examines theoretical debates about the relationship between state and society as well as the social context within which political actors operate and the extent to which they shape and are shaped by social structures such as gender, ethnicity, nationality, class, race and religion. What role do ethnicity, nation and gender play in contemporary politics? What is the link between identity and politics? And what makes for successful social movements? This course tackles these and other questions against the backdrop of three main sociological approaches to the study of society and politics: functionalism, conflict theories, and symbolic interactionism.

This course explores how group identities are formed, how individuals understand themselves in relation to others, and how both connection and division emerge within and between social and political groups. Drawing on key theories, cutting-edge research, and global case studies, students examine the psychological mechanisms that shape social relations including how people connect, cooperate, and sometimes come into conflict.

From group belonging and everyday social interactions to the psychological roots of intergroup bias, and polarization, the course traces how social minds are shaped by identity, group life and the broader social and political context. It then moves into real-world applications, exploring how ideas from social psychology can help us to better understand division and conflict as well as foster connection and promote social change. This course also considers the role of social media and how it can both drive conflict and foster connection.